Ephesians 2:13,17 – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

If you knew me well enough you'd know I would never try to scare someone out of their wits, at least not on purpose. Well, I did it about a month ago at an ecumenical gathering. The worship leader invited us to offer a sign of our oneness in Christ, and suggested we share the peace. So far so good. The peace is an ancient and honoured way for Christians to communicate their unity in the body of Christ. Many traditions have many ways…

some kiss,
some hug,
some shake hands,
some say the words, 'the peace of Christ'.

So I chose the second option, the one I am most comfortable with, and hugged this wonderful, older, Roman Catholic lay leader next to me… and she went into shock! Don't ask me why, but she did. She pulled away and said. "I've never shared the peace like that before," and she just stared at me for a moment more. Finally she said in a whisper, "Can we do that again?"

Prayer: Let your peace that passes understanding become a way of life for those who seek to follow you. Help us share peace wherever we go. Amen.

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About the author:

Kenn Stright <kennethstright@yahoo.ca>
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada
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